Hawks offer signs of hope

After spending the last decade tripping over their own feet, all of a sudden the Blackhawks can do no wrong.

Friday might have been the best day in the best week in the best summer this franchise has ever seen.

It's hard to exaggerate the importance of signing Nikolai Khabibulin, the reigning Stanley Cup champion goaltender, on the future of this once-proud organization.

"The Blackhawks are back," general manager--and leading candidate for NHL executive of the year--Dale Tallon said.

Indeed, the addition of Khabibulin was a definitive statement that these are no longer your father's Blackhawks.

There certainly were skeptics when Tallon said the team would be aggressive in the free-agent market, and there were more than a few snickers and rolled eyes when he said the No. 1 goal was to win the Stanley Cup.

But Friday changed that. Even the most hard-edged Hawks fan--is there any other kind?--would be hard-pressed to find fault with Tallon's work last week.

No, the Hawks did not sign center Mike Modano, and in two years they may be very happy Modano decided to stay in Dallas for less money. Peter Forsberg would have looked very good in a Hawks sweater, but it's unlikely even he could have turned around the franchise as quickly as Khabibulin can.

Very simply, goaltender is the most important position in sports. As good as Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis were for Tampa Bay, the Lightning had been a marginal playoff team and would not have won the Cup without Khabibulin.

Anaheim wouldn't have made its magical run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2003 without the play of Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the nets, and it wouldn't have come up short in the seventh game were it not for Martin Brodeur in goal for New Jersey.

Will Khabibulin bring the Cup to Chicago next June? Don't rule out anything in the NHL this season.

This week, under Tallon's direction, the Hawks once again grabbed a seat at the adult table.